


I got scared

by PhantomSunflowers



Category: Onward (2020)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Gen, Hurt! Ian Lightfoot, Hurt/Comfort, Onward (2020) Spoilers, Protective! Barley Lightfoot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:27:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23467612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomSunflowers/pseuds/PhantomSunflowers
Summary: SPOILERS.When they can't get the tile to open fast enough, Ian gets in trouble.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 193





	I got scared

'Almost... almost...' Barley said before the water would be too high. He glances at Ian. His brother who was being really brave. Not much longer and they would both be under water... trapped... without air. Ian met his eyes for a second. Barley looked straight into his little brother’s brown etes and saw the panic.  
'Ian... we can...' Barley wanted to comfort him, but couldn't finish his sentence. They both filled their lungs with a last big gasp op air before the water reached the top.  
It was now or never! With all their might they tried to get their father’s feet on the little tile.  
“Come on come on come on...' Barley begged inside his head. Next to him, Ian was doing exectly the same. His face contorted in panic.  
Ian... fuck, Ian... Barley looked at him and saw the panic. Fuck fuck fuck, no! This couldn't be happening! Ian was grabbing at his chest with his free hand, and Barley knew exactly what that meant. Ian was struggling holding his breath. Airbubbles were escaping his nose and mouth too quickly. Fuck! Barley grabbed the line and tried again to get their father's feet on the tile. Ian lost more air... His legs began to kick as he tried not to gasp for air. Air that wasn't there!  
“Ian...” With one pull on the wire, Barley managed to get their father's feet on the tile. The tile above them began to open. Too slowly though... much too slowly. Panicked, Barley looked at Ian again. He hadn't seen the moment when Ian was unable to hold on any longer... and had gasped for air. The only thing what Barley saw now was his little brother, slowly sinking to the bottom. Barley grabbed Ian's shirt and pulled him up as fast as he could. He followed immediatly, his own lungs burning.  
Ian landed with a loud thump on the stone floor. A bruise already started to form along his hairline. He was laying lifeless though.  
'Ian!' As quickly as he could, Barley pulled up their dad from the water, not knowing if the tile would close again or not. He was by his brothers side the moment he had their dad's feet above the water. 'Ian, wake up!' Barley placed both his hands over Ian's cheeks. They were too cold... and far too pale.  
'Come on come on...' he placed his ear against his little brother's chest. There was a pulse... a faint one, but still there. What wasn't there however... was a steady breathing. In fact, there was no breahting at all. Ian wasn't breathing!  
'No! Come on, Barley, think! Uhm, what do you do in these kind of situation?!'  
He didn't know... and Ian was becoming more paler by the second. Barley didn't have time to think, he had to do something now!  
He placed both his hands on Ian's chest.  
'Come on, Ian...' He begged as he started with the chest compressions.  
His brother's body felt so fragile beneath his strong hands. He had to be careful otherwise he would definitely break some of Ian's ribs, if not all of them!  
Another five times he pressed down on Ian's chest... alright, what now? Air... He needed air.  
Barley tilted Ian's head back a bit and held his nose closed. Drawing in a big breath, Barley placed his mouth on Ian's. 'Breath, little brother... please!' Tears were falling down his face now, while he forced his breath into Ian's lungs.  
When he let go of his head, it broke his heart when he saw Ian's head fall limply to the side. And with just a little bit more force, he went on with his task of keeping his brother alive. 

The sound of his brother gasping for air... and coughing up water was the most beautiful sound Barley had ever heard. He picked Ian's up quickly, carefully, and placed his head against his chest. Ian was coughing up a lot of water. He grabbed at his burning chest. His legs were kicking. He thought he was drowning all over again.  
'Easy there, Ian. Easy. Just let it all out. I've got you...' Barley couldn't stop crying. Seeing Ian in so much pain and distress broke his heart all over again.  
This... was all his fault. 

Ian suddenly grabbed Balrey's wrist. His breathing was becoming a bit better. Fast... and shallow, but better!  
'Ian? Ian!' Barley let out a laugh as Ian opened his eyes a bit. Ian gave a small noise in return. Barley pulled him into a hug. 'Bar... ley?' Ian said softly. Barley sniffed and hid his face in Ian's neck. 'Bar...' Ian coughed again. His chest was on fire!  
'I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! Ian... I...' Barley let go of the hug a bit because now he was the one who had to gasp for air. The movement of it made Ian cough even more. His face was scorched in pain. A bit of water came out of his mouth again.  
'Shit, sorry.' Barley started apologizing again when he saw the pain on his brother's face.  
'It's... it's okay.' Ian whispered.  
'No. It's not! Fuck, Ian, you weren't breathing!'  
This made Ian speechless for a bit. Barley grabbed his hair and pulled off his beanie.  
'I said I was never going to be scared again, but I was! I was so afraid because you weren't breathing and I was going to lose you! And all because of me and my stupid plan!' Barley cried.  
Both boys were quiet after that. Ian looked at his brother. There was so much he wanted to say right now, but his throat was still hurting. 

'I am a screw up...' Barley muttered.  
Now Ian's lower lip was starting to quiver. Tears welled up in his eyes. He placed his hand on Barley's cheek.  
'You are... not... a screw up.' He whispered. Nevermind his painful throat and chest, he had to say this to him.  
He wiped away one of Barley's tears with his thumb. 'You just... saved... my life.'  
Barley now wiped his tears away angrily. 'I couldn't lose you.' he said.  
Ian slumped against him a bit more again. His body was tired from this whole ordeal. 'And you are not a screw up...'  
For a moment, Ian caught his breath. He kept rubbing his chest. 'Hurts...' Ian muttered.  
Barley looked a bit guilty again. 'That's... probably my fault as well. I had to bring you back. Does it hurt a lot?'  
Ian shook his head, which made the guilt on Barley's face lessen a bit. Ian smiled when he saw that, and closed his eyes for a moment. He was so tired...

Something touched Ian's leg at that moment. Ian opened his eyes again to see what it was. His father's foot... he had found him in the dark and was now pressing his foot against his leg to comfort him. Ian smiled softly and grabbed Barley's hand. They had a job to do! And they only had an hour and a half left. So Ian looked at his brother.  
'Are you ready to find a Phoenix gem?' he asked.  
Barley stared at him for a moment, and his huge grin spread across his face again. That adventurous look in his eyes. He took his brother's hand in his.  
'Absolutely, young mage!'

**Author's Note:**

> My very first fic!  
> Thanks to my Beta reader, erdarielthewhumper, who is the best!! I wouldn't be confident enough to post it without her help. <3 
> 
> What did you think of this little story? Let me know!


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